Apple Caramel Dip

In the fall when apples are at their best this dip makes an appearance.  It's easy and can be made ahead.  It's good cold or at room temperature.  Bring to any fall gathering, cut up a bunch of apples and dip away!

This is my favorite caramel sauce!

You can use toffee bits with or without chocolate.

Apple Caramel Dip

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2cup brown sugar1/2 cup caramel sauce (I used Mrs. Richardson's Caramel)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or peanuts (optional)

1/2 cup Heath English Toffee Bits  
apples, sliced

1. Beat the softened cream cheese with brown sugar until smooth. Spread onto a small to medium serving dish (with sides). I used a 3 cup Pyrex glass dish.

2. Heat the caramel slightly (about 10 second in microwave) to make spreadable. Spread on top of cream cheese.

3. Sprinkle the nuts and toffee bits all over the top. Serve with sliced apples for dipping.  Can be made a day ahead, refrigerate until ready to serve.

                                                                             

Strawberry Popsicles

                          STRAWBERRY POPSICLES (small batch)

YIELD: 5-6 POPSICLES depending of popsicle mold size

My daughter, granddaughter and I went strawberry picking this last June.  My granddaughter enjoyed eating them more than she did picking.  There really is nothing better than a fresh picked strawberry but you can only eat so many before you end up freezing the rest.  Which isn't a bad thing because I use the frozen berries to make a compote to go over yogurt, add them to smoothies and to make these delicious strawberry Popsicles.  I make then often as my Granddaughter LOVES them.  I've run out of the fresh frozen berries so now just use the bagged frozen strawberries from the grocery store and they're still delicious.  Summer is winding down so the popsicle molds will soon get put away until next summer when we'll pick even more strawberries!  

Recipe courtesy of Homemade in the Kitchen

https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/strawberry-popsicles-small-batch/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups (8 ounces) ripe strawberries or frozen strawberries (thaw first)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup  water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

• Add strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to popsicle molds. Freeze until firm. (use paper cups with popsicle sticks if you don't have popsicle mods)

*Best made with freshly picked strawberries in season but are still delicious with ripe or frozen strawberries.

*Don’t reduce the sugar, in addition to sweetening the pops, sugar lowers the freezing point and reduces ice crystals, ensuring you have a popsicle “soft” enough to bite into without breaking your teeth on an ice cube.

*To loosen popsicles, run mold under lukewarm water for a minute or so. Be careful you don’t get water inside the mold!

After a minute under running water, twist carefully and pull the popsicles out of their molds. 

I love FOOD Blogs!

Over time I have subscribed to SO many food blogs that my email is overflowing everyday.  I find myself just deleting them because I don't have time to read them all.  Today, I unsubscribe to all of them but keeping this list so that when I do have the time I'll read all about their delicious recipes, which I love to do...when I have time.  So here's the list if you'd like to check out some of my favorite blogs.  Enjoy!

A Couple Cooks  

Alexandra's Kitchen

Alton Brown

Add a Pinch

Ambitious Kitchen

Ask Chef Dennis

Butter Be Ready

Closet Cooking

Cooking Classy

Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Damn Delicious

David Lebovitz

Get On My Plate

Giangi's Kitchen

GIMME SOME OVEN

Half Baked Harvest

Handle the Heat

Home Sweet Farm Home

I am Homesteader

I Wash You Dry

King Arthur Recipes

The Kitchn

Life with the Crust Off

Love & Lemons

Love & Olive Oil

Natasha's Kitchen

Once Upon a Chef

Pinch of Yum

Recipe Girl

Recipe Tin Eat

Rock Recipes

Seasonal Cravings

Self Proclaimed

FoodieSerious Eats

Simply Recipes

Skinny Taste

Smitten Kitchen

Southern Living What's Cooking

Spend with Pennies

Spiced

Spoon Fork Bacon

Steamy Kitchen

Tara Teaspoon

Taste Better From Scratch

Tastemade

Tasty

The Baker Mama

The Beach House Kitchen

The Cafe' Sucre Farine

The Cookie Rookie

The Food Charlatan

The Lolly Jane List

The Modern Proper

The Pioneer Woman

The Recipe Critic

The Stay At Home Chef

This Silly Girl's Kitchen 

Two Peas & Their Pod

Valerie's Kitchen

Yep Recipes

Well Plated

                                                                                       

Shrimp and Avocado Salad

A couple weeks ago we were in Sunny Mexico, poolside enjoying Shrimp Ceviche.  Now we're back in cold Wisconsin but I'm craving ceviche.  I came across this recipe from the blog Skinny Taste, her photos make you want to make this asap ands I did!  Check it out here.  This recipe is not actually ceviche because it uses cooked shrimp instead of raw but it curbed my craving.  The shrimp is tossed with fresh tomatoes avocado, red onion, cilantro, chopped jalapeño tossed with freshly squeezed lime juice and a touch of olive oil.  It's delicious!  I can see myself making this often in the summer for a light lunch or an appetizer.  

 YIELD: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 limes (juice of)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt (black pepper to taste)
• 1 lb cooked shrimp (peeled shrimp, diced)
• 1 medium tomato (diced)
• 1 medium hass avocado (diced)
• 1 small jalapeño (seeds removed, diced fine)
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions:

• In a small bowl combine red onion, jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion.
• In a large bowl combine chopped shrimp, avocado and tomato.
• Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. 

*I like to serve with tortilla chips but if you'd like it more for a salad chopped ingredient larger.

*Easily double or tripled if serving a crowd.

                                                                                            

BLT with Avocado on an English Muffin

It's tomato season and today I picked some beauties at my local community garden so that means BLT's are on the menu.  I like to use toasted English muffins instead of bread because the tomato slice fits perfectly.  I add a layer of mayo on one slice and a layer mashed avocado with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper one the other.  Add the crispy bacon, lettuce and tomato and you have my version of a perfect BLT.
                                                                                          

Pan-Seared Strip Steak or Ribeye

I have told so many people about this recipe because it's my new favorite way to make a strip or ribeye steak.  This genius recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen.  This method blew my mind!  No more guessing if I undercooked or overcooked the steak, with this method the steaks cook to a perfect medium rare.  This method is different because you start the steak in a cold nonstick skillet with no oil.  You do need a thick (1 1/2 inch) well marbled steak so that the fat helps to achieve a good sear on the outside without overcooking the interior.  Also you'll need a meat thermometer.  See instructions below but you simply flip every two minutes until temperature reads 125 degrees, then let rest 5 minutes and slice.  Tender, juicy and delicious!

1.  Sprinkle each steak (well marbled boneless strip or ribeye steak 1 1/2 inch thick) with kosher salt and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before cooking.

2. When ready to cook remove from fridge and pat them dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. You don't need any extra salt.

3.  Place steaks 1 inch apart in cold nonstick skillet.  Place skillet over high heat and cook steaks for 2 minutes.  Flip steaks and cook on second side for 2 minutes.  (at this point neither side of steaks will be browned)

4.  Flip steaks, reduce heat to medium, and continue to cook, flipping steaks every 2 minutes, until meat register 125 degrees for medium rare. (Tip - steaks should be sizzling gently, if not, increase heat slightly and reduce heat if skillet starts to smoke.)

5.  Transfer steaks to carving board and rest for 5 minutes (VERY IMPORTANT!*see note).  Slice steaks, season steaks with salt to taste if needed. Enjoy!!

*The reason it needs to rest is because the juices need time to redistribute.  Otherwise it will just flow away, leaving you with a dry piece of meat.